Boston Celtic Guard Rajon Rondo Suspended One Game

ATLANTA – Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo has been suspended for Game 2 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinals series against the Atlanta Hawks for making contact with a game official, NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson announced Monday.

Rondo chest-bumped referee Marc Davis with 41 seconds remaining in Sunday’s 83-74 Game 1 loss at Philips Arena, earning his second technical and automatic ejection. Rondo, who earned both technicals while vehemently protesting a foul call against teammate Brandon Bass, said after the game that the bump was unintentional, but the league apparently viewed it as otherwise.

This is Rondo’s second referee-related suspension in three months. He was also suspended for two games in February after zipping a ball at an official.

The NBA rulebook states, “Any player or coach guilty of intentional physical contact with an official shall automatically be suspended without pay for one game. A fine and/or longer period of suspension will result if circumstances so dictate.”

Appearing on ESPN Radio’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” on Monday, NBA commissioner David Stern said, “We have a hard and fast rule. Unless somebody trips you and sends you into him, nobody touches a referee. That’s the proposition.”

“Obviously, from a competitive standpoint we are disappointed with the league’s decision to suspend Rondo,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said following announcement of the suspension. “He plays a valuable part in our team’s success. We accept the punishment and will use it as a learning tool for our players.”

Despite Rondo’s suspension, Rivers said earlier in the day that he wouldn’t be tempted to rush ailing shooting guard Ray Allen back into the lineup for Game 2.